30 September 2011

SPTS ships 600th AVP vertical thermal processing system

Plasma etch, deposition and thermal processing equipment maker SPTS Technologies Ltd of Newport, Wales, UK has shipped its 600th Advanced Vertical Processor (AVP) vertical batch thermal processing system to Cypress Semiconductor Corp. The system will be used for Cypress’ S8 technology platform, which supports its TrueTouch, PSoC 3, PSoC 5, CapSense and NVSRAM products.

Manufactured at SPTS’ Thermal Products Division in San Jose, CA, USA, the AVP furnace is used for a diverse range of diffusion and low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) applications in the semiconductor, power management, MEMS and compound semiconductor markets. The division maintains development capability on the common wafer sizes for all these markets, from 100mm to 300mm.

The AVP system is available in a single- or dual-boat configuration, providing flexibility and a low cost-of-ownership (CoO) solution for all process types, SPTS says. In-situ clean technology enables the AVP to run LPCVD processes for up to two years between quartz change, improving system uptime and maximizing productivity. Key processes include wafer annealing from 100°C to >1200°C and the deposition of low-temperature silicon germanium (SiGe), thick doped polysilicon and stress-controlled silicon nitride (SiN).

“SPTS is a key partner in enabling our high-performance Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon (SONOS) technology,” comments Cypress Semiconductor executive VP Shahin Sharifzadeh. “Its expertise in thermal processing technology and commitment to customer service are invaluable in helping us to deliver our products to market,” he adds.

“This shipment demonstrates both the success of the AVP product line and pays testament to the strong partnerships we develop with our customers,” says Vivek Rao, VP & general manager of SPTS’ Thermal Products Division.

Tags: SPTS Technologies Thermal processing systems

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